Broody and the Beast Boy
by Nate Grey
Summary: Beast Boy sets out to win Raven's heart. Nobody said it would be easy...or even possible.
1. Friendly Advice

Notes: I sensed a kind of closeness between Raven & Beast Boy when she healed him in the first episode. Of course, by the next one, she was insulting him like Cyborg would, so maybe I'm exaggerating…

Summary: Beast Boy tries to impress Raven. Emphasis on tries.

Broody and the Beast (Boy)

A Teen Titans Fanfic by

Nate Grey 1: Friendly Advice

Raven, contrary to popular belief, did not wake up every morning at six.

Her body, however, was in the habit of being attended to at certain times, and often went about making itself presentable without her knowledge. More than once she'd woken up to find herself spitting out mouthwash or getting dressed.

None of that was out of the ordinary to Raven. She detested alarm clocks, and since her body was perfectly willing and able to get up on time without her being conscious, there was no reason for her to own one.

Of course, that did not apply to her fellow Titans, all of whom, save Robin, needed exceptionally loud alarm clocks to get moving. Usually, it was one of these that finally snapped Raven awake, or the inevitable shoving match between Cyborg and Beast Boy over who got the bathroom first. She honestly didn't know why they bothered: Cyborg always eventually wrestled whatever form Beast Boy was in to the ground, and upon rising to celebrate his victory, found the door slamming shut in his face as Robin claimed the bathroom first.

Thankfully, Starfire was not at all stingy when it came to sharing the girls' bathroom. She was, in Raven's opinion, sometimes a bit TOO willing to share her supposed private time. Apparently, it was common practice on her home planet for girls that were friends to share absolutely everything. This had become a problem very quickly, as Raven had no desire to share toothbrushes with someone that delighted in serving and eating "fuzzy" food. But after several weeks (and even more new toothbrushes), she had finally drilled into Starfire's head that some personal items were not to be shared (especially not clothes).

Robin and Cyborg managed to keep straight faces as Beast Boy told them his idea.

Only when he was done did they roll on the floor with laughter. It was only polite.

Beast Boy frowned when they weren't done five minutes later. "It's not THAT funny."

Cyborg caught his breath enough to managed speech. "You…you're going to…haha…give Raven… heh…a Valentine in…eheheh…in July!" He collapsed and began pounding the floor with his fist as loud guffaws flew from his mouth.

Robin shook his head, finally gaining at least some of his composure. "You do realize she'll probably ignore you just for bad timing alone, right?"

"She won't. My plan is PERFECT," Beast Boy insisted with a toothy grin.

"So you're going to wait outside her door with chocolates and flowers until she comes out, and then you'll turn into something soft and cuddly?"

"Yeah! Great plan, right?"

Robin sighed. "Cy, you handle this one."

"With pleasure." Cyborg began counting off Beast Boy's mistakes on his large fingers. "First, Raven doesn't eat chocolate…not even dark chocolate. Second, she won't take just ANY flowers. Third, she does NOT do soft and cuddly."

Beast Boy's grin faded. "You guys gotta help me!" he cried, falling to his knees and clasping his hands together.

"You can't think of this as merely getting a girl to like you," Robin began, but Beast Boy cut him off.

"HEY! Raven already DOES like me!"

Robin and Cyborg shared patient smiles with each other before reaching over to pat Beast Boy's back. "Suuuuure she does…"

Beast Boy glared at them, but remained silent.

"Anyway, this is RAVEN we're talking about. She's not like most girls. You have to approach this…like hunting!"

Cyborg blinked. "Say what!"

"It's like hunting. Raven's the deer, and you're the hunter, BB."

Beast Boy blinked. "Are you saying I have to SHOOT Raven to get her to like me?"

"Well, it'd keep her from running away," Cyborg murmured thoughtfully.

"You can't take it so literally," Robin said. "I said it's LIKE hunting. You have to study her, know how she thinks, be prepared for anything she might try to get away."

"She's NOT trying to get away!" Beast Boy shouted. "I told you, she LIKES me!"

Robin gave him that same smile again. "Did she tell you that?"

"…well…no."

"Then how do you know?"

"Um…that one time, she healed me…"

Robin looked surprised. "Raven can heal?"

"Yeah! I didn't even have to ask, she just did it on her own!"

"I don't know, man," Cyborg said. "Are you sure she did that because she likes you? I mean, if Starfire knew how to heal, she'd do it, too."

Beast Boy gave him a flat look. "But Starfire would try to heal people that weren't hurt."

Cyborg sweatdropped. "Point taken."

"Hey, we're talking about Raven," Robin said, trying to change the subject. "I don't think that's enough to go on, BB. There's one way to know for sure if she likes you."

"Really? How!" Beast Boy asked excitedly.

"Ask her to do something with you…something SHE'D like, not shooting spitballs at Cyborg."

"Like what?"

Cyborg rolled his eyes. "There's all kinds of things. Meditation, poetry readings, going on long walks at night…" He paused and frowned. "On second thought, I think that's all of them."

Beast Boy deflated. "But…I don't really like any of those things…"

"You like Raven, don't you?" Cyborg asked.

"Yeah, but-"

"Then sacrifices must be made," Robin replied solemnly. "You have to ask yourself something. Is being with Raven worth having no fun at all?"

"…this seemed a lot more promising BEFORE I talked to you guys," Beast Boy sighed.

"Always glad to help!" Cyborg laughed, slapping him on the back.

Starfire brightened as she spotted Raven leaving the kitchen with a cup of tea. "Raven! How good to see you!"

Raven stopped, considered ignoring her completely, and then sighed, knowing it was impossible. "Hi," she muttered.

If Starfire was at all affected by the less than enthusiastic greeting, she didn't show it. "Tell me! Did you enjoy your gifts?"

Raven arched an eyebrow. "What gifts?"

"…did not Beast Boy give you the gifts?"

"Again, WHAT gifts?" Raven asked, beginning to get annoyed.

Starfire blinked in confusion. "I do not understand. Beast Boy said that all the gifts were for you, and he was right outside your door. How could you NOT have gotten them?"

Raven quickly put two and two together and sighed. "He must've caught my body in Ignore Mode."

Starfire stared at her.

Raven rolled her eyes. "My body automatically takes certain routes to avoid everyone in the mornings."

"But…he was right outside your door…"

"Then I probably just phased through the floor and went right under him."

"But…didn't you WANT the gifts, Raven? Are you not pleased that Beast Boy chose to present his affections for you in material form?"

Raven closed her eyes. "Somehow, I doubt I would be. But I guess SOMEONE should go get him, or he'll just stand there all day…" She finished her tea, handed the cup to Starfire, and drifted into the hallway.

Starfire beamed after her. "Be sure to say thank you!"

Beast Boy was indeed waiting right outside Raven's door. In fact, he had fallen asleep, so his head was actually on Raven's door, and he was drooling a bit.

She took that all in, sighed, and moved to wake him. Then she stopped to examine the gifts.

In his left hand was a red, suspiciously heart-shaped box that gave off a scent not unlike apple pie.

In his right was an elegant black rose in a tiny vase.

Raven ignored the box and carefully slipped the rose from his fingers. She gave it a delicate sniff, smiled faintly, and decided that Beast Boy had definitely gotten some help with these gifts.

Carefully, so as not to wake him, she moved Beast Boy's head so that he was propped up against the wall, and then entered her room. When she came back out, he was still there, snoring and drooling. Shaking her head, she gave him a gentle poke in the ribs. "Hey."

His reply was a very loud snort.

Making a face, Raven poked a little harder. "Beast Boy."

No response.

With a vein beginning to bulge on her forehead, she shoved him. "HEY!"

Beast Boy cried out and just barely managed to stay upright as he slammed into the wall. "GYAAAH! What! Oh, Raven…RAVEN! I…um…" He looked down at his hands, and, finding the rose gone, shrank into a mouse and tried to hide himself behind the heart box.

Raven bent down and picked up the mouse, cupping it in both her hands. "Lose something?"

"No," it squeaked. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason." She stood up and began to walk into her room.

"Um…Raven?" the mouse squeaked. "You can put me down now."

"Hmm," was her uninterested reply.

"Raven? Raven?"

"You should've done a bird," she said at last. "I…like birds."

The mouse instantly became a large, green parrot that perched on her arm.

"NOT those birds," Raven said at once, before the parrot could open its beak. "Something smaller…and quieter."

The parrot turned into, predictably, a raven.

"Perfect." Raven picked up a small camera from her desk and snapped a picture, causing the raven to caw in surprise as the flash momentarily blinded it.

"Hey! Watch it with that thing!" the raven complained.

"The next time you decided to go gift shopping," Raven said, "go alone, and get me one of these." She held out the picture.

The raven transformed back into Beast Boy and took the picture. "Why couldn't you have just told me that from the start?"

"Why couldn't you have just told me that you liked me?"

Beast Boy turned bright red. "Getting the bird," he muttered, heading for the door.

"Beast Boy," she called as he reached the door.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking over his shoulder.

Raven gave him a slight smile. "Nice try."

He grinned as the door slid shut behind him. "YES! I KNEW SHE LIKED ME!" He leaped up and clicked his heels together before racing off.

Raven shook her head and turned back to her rose. "Very nice try," she whispered, holding it up to her nose again.

The End. (for now)

Like it? Hate it? Think it deserves another chapter where Raven actually gets the bird?


	2. Eeeeevil Comes In Many Forms

Notes: You probably don't think of Raven as a pet person.  If anyone was going to have a pet, I think it'd be Starfire.  But I would be hesitant to give her one.  I could just see her feeding a puppy fuzzy blue hamburger meat…  _   

I'd like to say my love for ravens (and, indeed, Raven) stems from an obsession with Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem…but that would be a lie, since it was really that Simpsons Halloween special that did it.

Summary: Beast Boy gets a pet for Raven.  A really, really mean pet…

Broody and the Beast (Boy)

Chapter 2: Eeeeevil Comes In Many Forms

Beast Boy squared his jaw and looked the shopkeeper in the eye.  "Dude.  I am so NOT buying that bird."

The elderly man, who had introduced himself as Mr. Fandango, sighed.  "Sonny, you're making a big mistake."  He tapped the birdcage with the tip of his cane.  "I'll have you know that this is a truly fine animal."

"It.  Is.  Creepy."  Beast Boy shuddered just thinking about it.  "I could swear it was planning to EAT me, the way it looked at me just now…"

"Oh, he was probably just giving you the eye, since you're a stranger and all."

"You mean the Evil Eye," Beast Boy muttered under his breath.

"What you fail to realize, sonny, is that birds make excellent companions.  Practically take care of themselves, they do.  Just change the water and keep 'em fed, that's all there is to it."

"In that case, I'll take ANY other black birds you have."

"Sorry.  Entrails here is the only one I got left."

Beast Boy's left eye twitched.  "Dude.  You did NOT just call it that in front of me!"

"Yep, that's his name.  Can't rightly remember why, though…"

"Oh, that's it.  Keep your stupid demon bird.  Raven's getting a hamster and that's all there is to it."

Mr. Fandango chuckled.  "So it's for a lady friend, eh?  Didn't think you were a bird lover.  Well, that changes everything."

"How?" Beast Boy asked, giving the old man a wary look.

"I guarantee she'll love it, or you get your money back!"

Beast Boy sighed in defeat.  "As long as I can get that in writing, we've got a deal."

* * * * *

Starfire smiled to herself as she flew towards the gym.  Cyborg had told her that Robin & Raven were playing "Tag" there.  

…she wasn't quite sure what "Tag" was, but it had to be lots of fun, especially if Robin had convinced Raven to play (she was not overly fond of games…or anything else, it seemed).

"Perhaps it can be a three-person game," Starfire said hopefully as landed in front of the gym and poked her head in.

After only a few seconds, she decided that she never wanted to play Tag, ever.

From Cyborg's description, the idea was for one person to run from another until they were tagged, and then the roles were reversed.  He'd made it seem awfully simple.

If there was anything simple about the way Robin & Raven were "playing," it was that she was simply trying her best to kill him.

She wasn't actually moving at all, whereas Robin was ducking, dodging, and leaping over every single object in the room, which suddenly gained a mind of its own and flew straight at him, courtesy of Raven's telekinesis.  Despite the fact that he was doing quite well, Starfire could not help reacting the way she did.

"NO!  ROBIN!!!"

Robin's head snapped up in surprise, just as a medicine ball caught him in the jaw.  With a low groan, he hit the floor face-first.

Raven looked surprised as well, more by Robin's allowing himself to be distracted than by Starfire's sudden appearance.  She brought all the objects to a halt, and sent them flying away from the unconscious Robin with a wave of her hand.  "You really shouldn't do that," she stated calmly, "but thanks.  I win."

Starfire rushed to Robin and carefully rolled him onto his back.  "Robin?!  Can you hear me???"

Robin slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times.  "Did I win?" he asked dazedly.

"Hardly, thanks to Starfire."  Raven leaned over him and passed her hand briefly over his jaw.  There was a faint white glow, and then nothing as the rising bruise vanished.

"Thanks," Robin murmured, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Sure."  Raven stood up and promptly left the gym.

"…then…Raven was not attempting to harm you?" Starfire asked slowly.  

Robin grinned.  "Yeah, but that's just how she helps me stay in shape.  There's really no point in training if there's no element of danger involved.  You don't take it as seriously otherwise."

"And…is Raven the only one qualified to assist you in training?"

"Um…no, sometimes Cyborg does it.  Why do you ask?"

A hurt look passed over Starfire's face.  "Robin…you have never asked me to help you train…"

Robin stared at her in surprise.  "Well, I'd like to think you wouldn't be interested in trying to hurt me."

Starfire blushed.  "That is true…but if this training helps you, then I would like to help."

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically.

"I would do anything to keep you safe," Starfire said, her cheeks burning.  "Even throw things at your head…"

Robin laughed nervously.  "Well…okay, then.  Guess I've got myself a new training partner."

"Really?  Oh, thank you, Robin!!!"  She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

Robin sighed lightly as he returned the embrace.  "No problem…"

* * * * *

Beast Boy peeked around the corner, and, finding the coast clear, slowly crept into the living room.

At his side, the covered birdcage rustled a bit.  

"Quiet, you.  It's bad enough I had to actually pay to take you off the old man's hands.  One false move and you're back in the pet store with all those cats."

The birdcage ceased its rustling…for the moment.

Beast Boy glowered at it for good measure.  Raven was going to hate the stupid bird.  Why had he even bothered to bring it back to the Tower?  Because Old Man Fandango had conned him into buying it, that's why, he reminded himself.  All that talk about no other black birds in the whole area, as they just weren't that popular anymore.  Well, that was understandable.  Raven probably only wanted one BECAUSE they were so unpopular.

He was considering just chucking the cage out of the window when the other Titans entered the room.

"Hey!  Welcome back, little buddy!" Cyborg greeted.  Noticing the cage, he asked, "I assume your little shopping trip was a success?"

"Not really," Beast Boy began to say, but he suddenly found Raven right in front of him.

"Gimme," she demanded in a tone that was playful and threatening at the same time.

He reluctantly surrendered the cage.  "Don't get your hopes up, he was the very last one they had, and I know he's a little creepy, but-"

Raven pointedly ignored him, pulled off the cover, and stared into the cage.

The large, beady-eyed raven stared back at her with indifference.

Beast Boy closed his eyes, waiting for Raven to slam the cage over his hand and toss him out the window, and THEN drop Cyborg on him while summoning up some random torture demon to flay-

"He's exquisite," Raven whispered.

"…he is?" Beast Boy asked in total shock.

"…he is?" the other Titans echoed in confusion.

Raven ignored them and opened the cage door.

"Uh…Raven, maybe you shouldn't-" Cyborg began to say.

The bird slowly stepped out of the cage, flew a few feet into the air, and landed calmly on Raven's shoulder, where he glared at the other Titans like some sort of small, particularly hideous gargoyle.

Raven handed the cage back to Beast Boy and gently stroked the bird's beak with a finger.  "Good boy," she murmured softly, apparently pleased.

The raven did not look too pleased himself, but as he didn't bite her fingers off and leave her with bloody stumps, they all had to assume he enjoyed the attention.

"Just WHERE did you get this bird?" Robin whispered to Beast Boy.

"Fandango's Old-Fashioned Pet Store."  He frowned.  "…you think it's ugly, too…right?"

"What I think doesn't matter."  Robin shrugged and gestured to Raven, who was…almost smiling.

"I guess not," Beast Boy agreed, grinning faintly.  

"Is he friendly?" Starfire asked, reaching out to pet the bird's head.

Raven just glanced at her, but the bird got a vicious glint in his eyes.

Robin, though he wasn't even looking in that direction, automatically snatched Starfire's hand just before the raven's beak could snap shut on it.

Starfire gasped and moved behind Robin, her eyes wide with fear.

Raven shrugged innocently.  "You invaded his personal space."

The bird flapped its wings once and began to preen the left one with its pointy beak.

"So what are you going to call it?" Cyborg asked

"I don't know yet," Raven admitted.  "I'll have to think about it."

"Raymond," suggested Cyborg at once.

Raven looked at him.  "I am not calling him that."

"How about Bird?" Starfire asked.

"…you want me to call my bird…Bird."

"Is it not a good name for him?" 

Raven shook her head.  "I'm going to my room."  She had only gone a few feet when she stopped and glanced over her shoulder.  "Are you coming, Beast Boy?"

Beast Boy's jaw dropped, but he recovered quickly.  "Be right there!"

She nodded and walked off.

Beast Boy spun around to face the others.  "What's MY name, you ask?"  He slipped on a pair of shades and peered over the top of them.  "Why, it's Love.  Dr. Love, that is…"

"You better get going before she changes her mind, man," Cyborg advised.

"Or before she realizes what she just asked," Robin added with a smirk.

"Hey, YOU guys are just jealous of how smooth I am!  Observe, chumps."  Beast Boy swaggered over to Starfire, and made a big show of taking her hand and kissing the back of it.

"Is this common practice for doctors on Earth?" Starfire asked, watching with both confusion and amusement as Beast Boy gradually began to move up her arm with his kisses.

Robin pinched Beast Boy's ear just as the kisses got past her wrist.  "I thought it was Raven you were after," he said through gritted teeth.

"Hey, Dr. Love never turns away a patient!" Beast Boy protested, but he let go of Starfire's arm.  He started towards the hallway, but paused to aim a saucy wink at Starfire.  "We'll finish your check-up later, sweet thing," he promised before fleeing in the face of Robin's glare.

Cyborg patted the alien girl's shoulder.  "For future reference, Star, if a doctor—or any other guy—ever  tries that with you, just slug him, okay?"

"Oh, but I could never hit Beast Boy!" Starfire exclaimed.  "He is my dear friend, and he was only being…affectionate?"

"That's one way of putting it, I guess," Robin admitted.

* * * * *

Endnotes: Against my better judgment, I'm doing one last chapter.  I want to finish this series before I move on to other stories (at least two in the works, both focusing on Raven, to some extent).  Anyway, you'll find out what Raven has in store for Beast Boy, what she finally calls her bird, and what my ultimate opinion on the Raven/BB pairing is…though, that may not be a good thing…


	3. And They Shall Call Him

Notes: Just remember that I did warn you last chapter about this.  Now, excuse me while I run and hide…

Broody and the Beast (Boy)

Chapter 3: And They Would Call Him…

"So.  We like the bird?" Beast Boy asked in an attempt to sound casual.

Raven did not look up, and continued the process of converting a former cereal bowl into a mini birdbath.  "We do," she murmured distractedly.

Beast Boy tried not to shudder as the bird glared at him from its perch on a bookend that very much resembled a gargoyle.  "That's good.  Thought up a name yet?"

"Not yet.  I'm sure it'll come to me soon."  She placed the birdbath in a particularly dark corner of her desk (not that all of them weren't dark, but this one was darker than the others), stared for a few seconds, and finally shifted it exactly two inches to the right.

Instantly, the raven flew from its perch and touched down next to the bowl.  It let out a rather ill-sounding squawk before dipping its beak in the water.  

Beast Boy watched the procession in a kind of fascinated horror.  He was decidedly dismayed to see that Raven was actually smiling.

"Never had a pet before?" he guessed.

The smile faded at once.  "We need to talk," Raven said, turning to face him.

"About…the bird?" Beast Boy asked uncertainly.

"No.  About…us."

"…um…okay."  He plopped down onto the floor and stared up at her expectantly.

She frowned.  "Do you have to sit there?"

"No.  But in case it's something bad, I won't have to far to fall if I faint or have a heart attack."

For some reason, Raven couldn't argue with that logic.  She sat down on her bed and searched for the best place to start.

"I don't…"  She stopped, shook her head, and sighed.  "First, thanks for my bird."

"No problem," Beast Boy replied, trying to seem sincere about it.

"I know you don't like him…so you can take him back to the pet store at the end of the week."

"…what?"  Beast Boy stared up at her.  "But…how…you…what???"

Raven closed her eyes.  "Am I correct in assuming you got me this bird so I'd pay more attention to you?"

"…I guess," he admitted.  

"Then you have to take him back."

"But…Raven…don't you LIKE the bird?"  Then, in a smaller voice, he added, "Don't you like me…?"

"Yes, I like the bird.  Yes, I like you."  She opened her eyes.  "But as a friend."

"…oh.  Oh no."  Beast Boy began slapping himself on the head.  "Stupid stupid stupid stupid!"

"Stop that."  Raven caught his wrist before he could hit himself again.  "It's not your fault."

"Yes, it is!  It ALWAYS is!  I try too hard, or I come on too strong, or-"

She sighed.  "Beast Boy.  Shut up."

"Shutting up."

Raven let go of him and walked over to her desk.  "It's not your fault.  You didn't do anything wrong.  At the same time, there's nothing you can do to…fix this."

"…what is it I want to fix but can't?"

"Me."  She reached out and carefully stroked her raven's head.  "You have to understand that since I was a child, I was trained to do three things: focus, resist, and overcome.  They're so deeply ingrained into me that I'll never be able to let them go or ignore them completely.  Unfortunately, that also means that I'm not as receptive to…well, boys."

"…you mean you like Starfire?" Beast Boy asked in shock.

"NO."  She paused and shook her head.  "I didn't mean it like THAT.  The same generally goes for girls, too.  I'm not all that receptive to anyone.  I'm used to being alone.  At times, I actually prefer it."

"So I guess offering to let you 'overcome' me won't change your mind?"

There was no answer, but Raven did lower her head as an odd shudder passed through her body.

And then Beast Boy realized what was happening.  He leapt to his feet and rushed to Raven's side, spinning her around to face him.

Her lips were still trembling, but she managed to still them before long.

Beast Boy's face split into a grin.  "You were laughing!"

Raven cleared her throat.  "I was not."

"Yes, you were!  I saw you!"

"You saw nothing."

"…okay, fine."  Beast Boy let her go, but the grin remained.  "So.  You don't like me."

"I never said that," she replied at once.  "I do like you…as a friend."

"You know, I think I'm supposed to get the 'let's-just-be-friends' talk AFTER our first date."

"So I improvised."

"And you're not even a LITTLE bit attracted to me?" he asked.

"To you?" she asked doubtfully.

"Hey, what's THAT supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing," Raven replied, looking away.

"…it's Robin, isn't it?"

She stared at him.  "Now you're just guessing.  Badly."

"It is him, isn't it?!  The leader always gets the girls!"

"I am not interested in Robin," Raven stated firmly.  "Didn't I just tell you I'm not recap-"

"HEY!  You said you weren't interested in Robin!  But I asked if you were attracted to him!"

"…"

"I KNEW IT!" Beast Boy shouted triumphantly.

"Attraction doesn't necessarily mean anything.  You're attracted to myself and Starfire…not to mention anything else even remotely female."

"But that doesn't change the fact that you think he's cute!"

"Don't be bitter."  Raven looked thoughtful for a moment.  "I admire your sense of humor."

"…you do?!" Beast Boy asked excitedly.

"Yes.  You're so…determined to make people laugh."

"…and that's good, right?"

"At times."

"Is that a compliment?"

"I…don't know," Raven admitted after a moment.

"I'll take what I can get."  Beast Boy began to smile, but stopped when the raven suddenly landed on her shoulder.  "Um…you know what?  Keep the bird."

She peered at him carefully.  "You're sure?"

"Yeah.  It'd be more of a hassle just to go back in that place, anyway."

"But…I feel like I'm taking advantage of your kindness."

He shrugged.  "You asked for a bird, and you got one.  Not like it was expensive or anything."

"And…you're not upset about me wanting to remain friends with you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll cry my eyes out over you later.  And you did let me down easy.  I mean, you could've just said I was ugly."

"…but you're not…ugly, exactly," Raven said after a moment, clearly uncomfortable.  "You're…kind of… astonishing."

Beast Boy blinked.  "Well, can't say I've been called that before."  He frowned thoughtfully.  "The Astonishing Beast Boy…it could work, if I ever went into show business."

"You're sure I can keep him?" she asked, indicating the bird.

"Yeah.  I was gonna get you a present, anyway, since you won't tell anyone when your birthday is…"  He trailed off, giving her a hopeful look.

"Thank you for my present," Raven replied simply.

He sighed.  "Well, I tried.  Guess I'll go now."

"…wait," she said as he reached the door.  "There is…one more thing."

Beast Boy turned around.  "Yeah?"

Raven drifted over to him, stopped, and then moved closer, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

His eyes widened in shock, especially when she held a fist crackling with dark energy under his nose.  

"If you tell ANYONE I did that…" she began.

He nodded wordlessly.

"Then good night, Beast Boy."  She gave him a slight push just before the door slid shut in his face.

Beast Boy stood in the hallway for a few seconds.  Then he turned around, rubbed his cheek, and grinned.  "Aw YEAH, baby!  The ladies can't keep their hands off of Dr. Love!  Cuz I'm the doctor with the cure, and ya know I got the-"

~ "I can still hear you, Beast Boy."~

"…right to remain silent."  But he'd only gone a few feet before he was singing again.  "And when ya got that fever, I'll never ever tease ya…unless ya WANT me tooooo…"

* * * * *

Breakfast was a most confusing matter.

Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire were all curious to know how Beast Boy's "meeting" with Raven had gone.

Beast Boy, however, was in no mood to share, apparently.  If asked about the events of the previous night, or anything at all, he would only grin merrily at the asker and go back to his cereal.

All the questions ceased when Raven finally appeared, her bird perched menacingly (very little about it was NOT menacing) on her shoulder.  Without a word, as was her custom, she selected an orange from a bowl on the counter (Beast Boy always kept it full) and sat down between Robin and Cyborg.  The bird glared at the others in suspicion as the orange floated from Raven's hands and seemingly began to peel itself.

"So does our new little mascot have a name?" Cyborg asked, trying to end the silence.

"Yes."  Raven reached up to stroke the bird's head.  "His name is Shax."

"…Shax?" Beast Boy said uncertainly.

Starfire leaned over to whisper to Robin.  "Is this Shax someone famous on Earth?"

"Um…well…I've never heard of him," Robin admitted.

Raven rolled her eyes slightly.  "You wouldn't know him.  He's a demon."

"…demon?" Cyborg murmured, wishing he hadn't called the raven a mascot now.

"He is a duke and high marquis of Hell that governs thirty legions," she replied knowingly.  

"…oh.  Is that all?" Beast Boy chuckled weakly.

"He can also cause blindness, loss of hearing, or confusion…upon command."  Raven said this last part as if she perhaps knew some people she'd like to sic Shax on.

"It's…a unique name," Robin declared after a few minutes.  "I think I like it."

Beast Boy stared at him for a few seconds.  "Uh…yeah!  Me, too!"

The raven suddenly screeched at him and flapped its wing madly.

"Perhaps he can even detect lies," Raven said calmly, transferring Shax to her hand and tenderly stroking his back.  He quickly fell silent, but did not stop glaring at Beast Boy.

"What do ravens eat?" Starfire asked.

"He'll eat anything I give him," Raven replied, offering a small piece of her orange to Shax, who quickly snapped it up.  "But I would prefer that any food for him went through me.  I think your fingers might prefer it, as well."

Starfire automatically removed her hands from the table.

"Um…he's just glaring at us like that because he doesn't know us…right?" Cyborg asked.  "I mean…once he's used to us, he won't keep…doing things like that, will he?"

Raven stared at him for a few seconds.  Finally, she said, "I'll mention it to him."

Robin, at least, seemed satisfied with that answer.  "Well…on behalf of the Teen Titans, welcome to the team, Shax!"

Perhaps in a sign of acceptance, Shax flew from Raven's hand, touched down next to Robin's plate, snatched half a slice of toast, and retreated to his mistress's hand.

"…that's gotta be a yes," Beast Boy noted.  "I mean, we'd know if he said no…"

The others nodded in agreement.

If Raven was pleased, she did not show it.  Instead, she merely held the toast slice with two fingers and watched as Shax gradually devoured it all.

Beast Boy watched the duo with something like pride, glad that he had brought them together, and satisfied that nothing that changed between he and Raven.  Initially, that would've bothered him.  Now, though, he was just pleased to know that she was content with being his friend.  He could deal with that.

And, he thought to himself as his gaze moved to Starfire next to him, there were indeed other fish in the sea.

As if sensing his attention, Starfire looked at Beast Boy, smiled brightly, and offered him her last cinnamon roll.

Beast Boy accepted it with a smile (he loved the way she called them "swirls of delight"), and was about to offer her something…else in return when he felt Robin's eyes on him.  He finally made do with thanking Starfire and going back to his own meal.  There were, after all, far more enchanting girls waiting to be charmed, many of them without angry, overprotective shadows…

The End. (yes, this is where I've chosen to end it)

There won't be a sequel…but I am considering another story with another "pet" that drops in on the Titans.  Shax may make an appearance there, we'll see.  If he ever does pop up again, well, you'll know where he came from and what his name signifies.  I will never again refer to him as "Entrails," as that's just nasty.

I actually did do some research to find a demon with bird-like features.  Here's what I got:

Shax is the Forty-fourth Spirit listed in the Goetia, who governs 30 Legions. He appears as stock-dove with a hoarse voice. He can cause blindness, deafness, or lack of understanding upon command & also can steal money, horses, or other things. He also knows of hidden things not kept by wicked spirits. Shax must be summoned into a triangle or he will tell lies. 

As duke and high marquis of hell, Scox/Chax commands 30 legions. He appears as a stork with a raucous voice, and is known to be deceitful. He steals horses, and takes the silver in the houses he possesses only to return it 1200 years later if everything is still in order. If he is confined to a triangle, he will speak truth on supernatural matters, point out hidden treasures not guarded by evil spirits, and obey the exorcist. If he is not confined, he will lie and not always obey the exorcist.

For more info on Shax's demon brethren, check out:

Deliriums Realm dot com, slash delirium slash mythology slash demons dot asp (ignore the spaces)

You'll find him under Goetic Demons.


End file.
